The Official Blog of the Australian High Commission in New Zealand

New Zealand

In Conversation with Kevin “Shifter” Sheehan and Rob Malone

Welcome to Trans-Tasman Tales, the free podcast by the Australian High Commission in New Zealand.

In today’s episode Australian Deputy High Commissioner Andrew Cumpston sits down with National and International Talent Manager Kevin “Shifter” Sheehan and AFL New Zealand Coach Rob Malone to talk about the game, its place in New Zealand and the annual Anzac AFL Academy vs New Zealand Hawks game in Wellington.

Australia and New Zealand are more than neighbours – shared values, a history of collaboration, and a degree of economic integration that is admired around the world make us partners whose future and prosperity are intimately linked. The strength of the bilateral relationship has been built on the good work of many, and foremost among the organisations making an important contribution is the Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum (ANZLF).

Shortly after my arrival at the Australian High Commission in Wellington in January 2015, my colleague Nick Williams infected me with his enthusiasm for New Zealand’s Māori economy. Nick, a young Aboriginal man from Queensland, had been following the growth and success of Māori business and was interested in the opportunity for Australian Indigenous businesses to learn from their Māori counterparts.

Women in Business: Glass Half Smashed?

On 4 October, the Australian High Commission hosted a Women in Leadership panel discussion with three inspirational business leaders. From risk-taking and life-long learning to realising you can’t do it all, listen to Ann, Joan and Kate share their wisdom and humour with 250 of our closest friends.

Kate McKenzie

The Australian Steelers were very excited to arrive in New Zealand last month to compete at the Asia Oceania Wheelchair Rugby Championships in Auckland, and there were so many things we looked forward to during this important trip.

As Ernest Rutherford, the father of nuclear physics and a smart Kiwi, once said: “We haven’t got the money, so we’ll have to think”.

The principles behind Rutherford’s quote, while relevant globally, relate particularly well with Australia and New Zealand’s strategies and plans for competing and excelling in the increasingly resource hungry research sphere. This was reinforced at the recent annual eResearch New Zealand Conference in Queenstown, which brought together 171 researchers, infrastructure operators, developers, and strategists.

The New Zealand Parliamentary Netball Team, The Australia Federal Parliamentary Netball Team and the New South Wales Parliamentary Netball Team pose for a photo with former Silver Fern Irene van Dyk at the 2017 Diggeress Cup Tournament.

Remembering back to the origins of Anzac Day New Zealanders and Australians have long enjoyed a special camaraderie or ‘mateship’ and a friendly rivalry in the true spirit of the Anzac soldiers from long ago. Whether it be heated debate over which country invented Pavlova or who has the best sports team, we’ve always enjoyed our iconic rivalry and our friendship. Our special relationship is no more so when it comes to sport, in particular our national games – rugby and netball.

New Zealand Prime Minister Bill English and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in Queenstown for the annual Leaders Meeting.

As the Australian High Commissioner to New Zealand the event you look forward to most each year is the annual Leaders Meeting.

While invariably short, these visits can accomplish a huge amount for a bilateral relationship. They set the direction for work that will continue long after the PM’s plane leaves, and they build the foundations of mutual respect and trust between leaders which is so important in maintaining strong relationships between countries. It is also a chance to cut through bureaucratic thickets and get decisions made.